Birmingham, UK

WHY I'M PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO SUSTAINABLE FASHION

I've loved vintage fashion for years. There's just something satisfying about wearing unique, high quality pieces of clothing that you didn't pick up in your local primark. As kids we would always be mooching through charity shops and car boot sales for treats and while I was embarrassed about that when I was younger, it's something I've learnt to embrace over the years.


What baby Grace didn't know when she was younger, was that second hand fashion would become extremely popular and even encouraged as more and more people started to understand the effects fast fashion has on the world. If you'd have told me rummaging through Cancer Research with my Nan would be in the 'in thing' when I was a teenager I would have never believed you, but here we are.

Outfit photo wearing a white pleated vintages skirt and a white floral blouse


So why am I paying more attention to sustainable fashion? It comes down to a few reasons really. The fast fashion industry has been my friend for a really long time. I loved the days I could nip into Primark and come out with a whole outfit for a tenner, and whilst I won't be giving up that kind of shopping completely I am trying to reduce it. 

One of the big reasons is the environmental impact. A quick google search will throw up hundreds of articles based around the impact the fashion industry has on our planet, and the stats are pretty shocking to say the least. According to an article on the Business Insider, the fashion industry accounts for 10% of our carbon emissions. And if that doesn't concern you, the fact that 85% of textiles end up in a landfill should - thats a lot of clothes.

I would highly recommend giving that article 5 minutes of your time because the data will likely take you by surprise. I know it shocked me. 

For me there are also a couple of less important reasons for moving away from fast fashion. One is the cost. Second hand clothes in general are a lot cheaper than buying brand new, unless you specifically go to a vintage store of course. Older clothes are generally a lot better quality too and will also last much longer. Things were just made to last back in the day.

Outfit photo wearing a white pleated vintage skirt and a white floral blouse


I would say the last reason, and the most important reason for me, after the environmental cost, would be having something unique. When you buy vintage or second hand, it's likely that you will have something no one else does. I can't even count the amount of second hand bags I've bought and loved over the years that I know no one else will have.

So apart from buying second hand, what else am I doing to embrace sustainable fashion? Well I won't be giving up my Primark trips, or Asos orders anytime soon, but I will reduce the amount I purchase 'just because it's cheap'. Too many times I've picked up a bag full of items I didn't really need just because I could, and I'd never even wear them! 

I also recycle my own clothes and bags when I can. I send a fair amount of stuff to charity shops and I also sell on a lot of my older things too, because ya girl has to fund her habits someway. Sometimes things are too worn to donate to charities to resell, however a lot of my local charity shops use a scheme where they can sell things on as rags, so it's always worth asking your local shop if they participate in a scheme like that so you don't even have to throw ripped or damaged clothes away.

Shopping sustainably is something I've been trying to get more into lately and I'd encourage anyone who is concerned about the environment to do the same. 

Thanks for reading!


If you liked this post don't forget to click here to follow me on Bloglovin!



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking for more posts?
Here are some popular ones below!





Post a Comment

Latest Instagrams

© GraceBee. Design by Fearne.